How I Found Out

I have felt crummy for over a month.  It started with the development of blood clots in my calves (DVT) in late July for which I received blood thinners.  Independent of that pain, I developed random, seemingly harmless symptoms.  I have had NO appetite since 28 July.  All food looked and smelled yucky and if I managed to force down a couple of bites of something (usually cottage cheese, or bread), I was completely full after a couple of bites.  I have had abdominal pain and frequent, painful urination (TMI, I know), and a low-grade fever which have worsened over the past month.  I was treated with antibiotics for a UTI which made sense at the time.  I also got a HIDA scan to evaluate my gallbladder function. (My gallbladder is awesome, btw, if anyone wants it).

Fast forward to Monday, 24 August.  Knowing I had a dr. appointment at noon that I wanted to maximize, I called a brilliant dr. friend, told him my symptoms, and asked how I could get the most out of my short time with my physician that afternoon. I wondered if I was just being a whiny baby who couldn't deal with some random, flu-like symptoms for a month.  It was with this insecurity that I approached my dr. friend.  I felt some validation when, after hearing my symptoms, he said. "Your symptoms have my attention."  Then he said, " I'm going to say something I know you've already thought of but which you may not have really considered and that is that some cancers present with blood-clots."  Ummm, nope!  cancer had NEVER crossed my mind.  (In fairness to my brilliant dr, brother-in-law in Utah and my brilliant pediatric oncology sister, they had both wondered about cancer but were just waiting for further test results).  He told me to make this list and request the following tests:

Later that day, when I met with my Family Practice Physician, (love him and his staff, by the way), I shared with him my symptom list and then started into my test request list.  Two tests in, he stopped me and said, "Yep, we will do those two and now it's time for a CT scan, and this blood test, and that ultrasound and.....I knew my list had gotten his attention as well.

I had the CT scan that same evening. I had been told that my FPP would get the results the same night and that I'd hear from him.  Monday night, my dr. called and told me some nice things they saw on the scan.  He said there was maybe an enlarged ovary but he needed to consult the GYN to get more information.  He said he wanted to meet with me in the morning (which was his day off) to look at the swelling in my arm.  I found it thoughtful that he'd follow-up on my arm problem (more blood clots, btw) on his day off.

After looking at my arm, he said, "Now to the meat and potatoes of why I had you come in this morning.  Last night when we spoke on the phone, I didn't tell you the whole story.  I wanted you to get one more good sleep before you knew what we found."  Now he had MY attention!  He said I had advanced stage Ovarian Cancer (IIIC or 4 depending on how far it had spread).

UGH.  SWALLOW.  NUMB. HE COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE TALKING ABOUT ME.  ugh.....